Using either the hydrogen to power electric motors or through direct combustion is the way forwards. Synthetic fuels are also a good option. I run my two stroke chain saw on synthetic fuel and it’s great for the occasional times I use the saw. A traditional mix would go stale and bung up the carb with crap. EV’s are a stop gap until hydrogen tech takes off.
The current issue with hydrogen fuel cells is the significant amount of energy needed to create the hydrogen, something that can be addressed by using renewable sources. Which is why opposition to wind farm developments can be so frustrating, it is a key way of delivering a truly sustainable energy market for travel - and homes too, because it can replace gas in our heating systems.
Massive progress has been made over the last few years. France are already constructing a site to be fully operational.
How close is nuclear fusion? Of course we have had man made fusion since the Ivy Mike test in November 1, 1952, but that was a bomb.
Mid 90’s I fully restored a late 60’s Karmann Ghia, sold it and immediately regretted it… If I wanted an electric car, I’d get a hard top karmann and have it converted.
That’s not mine, it’s just pretty much the same as mine, I had it sprayed Aston Martin Royal Blue metallic, with an Ivory hood and interior. I flogged it because I had two young kids and I worked away a lot, so it barely ever got used. I’m about to change one of my cars and toyed with getting another one, as I only use my second car locally now, but it would really need to be kept in the garage and I can’t be arsed to clear it out.
That's partially true on the cost, but (and I think as you're saying) as one of the issues with renewable's is the unpredictability, which leaves them producing when there is no demand, or not being available when there is demand, which puts additional strains and emissions on the base load. Using the times of surplus energy to divert that power to electrolysis is pretty much a zero cost option for production and can make many of the clear limitations of the current version of so called renewables less problematic, although there is still a lot of work required on their overall global impact. Hydrogen fuel cells are also less environmentally damaging, and more able to scale up for other uses than the current cell technology. Also, it needs a lot more work yet before it can replace gas in heating systems for a variety of reasons, most relating to the energy density and stoichiometric ratios required, that the current batch of boilers are having difficulty managing, and if care isn't taken when they do it, it can increase local emissions of things such as the oxides of nitrogen if it's combusted in a non-sealed system. Lets not forget, natural gas replaced the 'dirtier' towns gas, which was over 60% hydrogen, so it's not new technology, and some of the production methods are glossy brochure version of those old methods, including using coal. A big concern with hydrogen is down to leakage, not so much from explosion, but because it can impact on the hydroxy radicals that break down methane in the atmosphere, which has a greater warming potential than current pollutants in the upper atmosphere, but that shouldn't be insurmountable.
